Planning Division Ordinances

The Zoning Ordinance governs the use of one’s property. The range of uses and structures allowed differ from zone to zone, e.g. commercial versus residential zones. The Ventura County Zoning Ordinance is divided into the Coastal Zoning Ordinance for coastal areas and the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance that covers all areas outside the Coastal Zone. The two codes are structured in parallel, but differ in many substantive ways. In addition to the Zoning Ordinance, the Subdivision Ordinance is designed to regulate and control subdivisions of land.

Other County of Ventura Ordinances

The purpose of the Cultural Heritage Ordinance is to promote the economic and general welfare of the County by preserving and protecting public and private historic, cultural and natural resources which are of special historical or aesthetic character or interest, or relocating or recreating such resources where necessary for their preservation and for their use, education, and view by the general public.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted a Noise Ordinance intended to protect residential communities from loud or raucous nighttime noise. No person shall create within any residential zone of the County of Ventura any loud or raucous noise which is audible to the human ear during the hours of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. of the following day, at a distance of 50 feet from the property line of the noise source or 50 feet from any such noise source if the noise source is in a public right-of-way.

The Mobile Home Park Rent Control (MHPRC) Ordinance was adopted to protect the owners of mobile dwelling units from unreasonable rent increase, while at the same time recognizing the need of park owners to receive a fair return on their property and rental income sufficient to cover expenses.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted a Right to Farm Ordinance intended to protect the farming community from developments that inhibit their ability to continue agricultural production. Such things as agricultural wind machines, odors, dust, and noise, are often the subject of nuisance complaints by adjoining property owners.

SOAR, which stands for “Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources,” was initially adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 1998. Most recently in November 2016, voters approved Measure C, which sunsets on December 31, 2050. In simple terms, under the County's SOAR Ordinance, lands designated Agriculture, Open Space or Rural in the General Plan shall not be redesignated to another land use category without a vote of the people. As such, the County's SOAR Ordinance is different than those adopted by the cities, which “City Urban Restriction Boundary” (CURB) lines around each city and require city voter approval before any land located outside the CURB lines can be developed under the city’s jurisdiction.

About Us

The primary goal of the Resource Management Agency is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public through administration and enforcement of County ordinances, Board policy, and state and federal laws regarding land use, and commercial and environmental regulation.